My thoughts on the Phillies season.

Bullpen is unable to save the game as the Phillies fall to the Mets, 9-4.

For the first time in a long while, the Phillies’ bullpen have collectively let a ballgame get away as J.C. Romero and Tom Gordon would combine to blow a save as the Phillies lose to the Mets, 9-4. The Mets would score first in the first inning, as Jose Reyes, who has earlier singled, and then reached third on Ryan Church’s single, would score on a David Wright double play ball, 6-4-3, wiping out Church at second, to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The Met would then increase their lead in the fourth, when, with runners on first and third, and one out, Jamie Moyer would pick off first base Carlos Beltran, who has just walked. But a Ryan Howard’s throwing error towards second would allow Wright, who has earlier doubled, and has reached third on a stolen base, to score, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead, while Beltran would be safe at second. Beltran would then score on a RBI single by Damion Easley, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead. The Phillies would come back in their half of the fourth, as Howard would hit a three-run home run, his twenty-third home run of the year, scoring Shane Victornio, who has earlier been hit by the pitch, and Chase Utley, who has just walked, to even the score at three. It would remain tied until the bottom of the seventh, when pinch hitter Jayson Werth would hit a RBI single to score Eric Bruntlett, who was pinch running for Pat Burrell. who has earlier singled, to give the Phillies the lead at 4-3. But, Werth would then be thrown out at second, catcher Ramon Castro to second baseman Easley, when he tried to move up to second on the throw to home, ending the inning. The Phillies then gave it to the bullpen to try and close the door. Unfortunately, the bullpen would be unable to do so. With one out, J.C. Romero would give up singles to Easley and Carlos Delgado, which would put runners on the corners. Charlie Manuel would then quickly replace Romero with Tom Gordon. While pitching to Marlon Anderson, Gordon would uncork a wild pitch, which would score Easley, tying the game at four all, and send Delgado to second. After Anderson walks, Endy Chavez would ground out to Howard, moving the runners to second and third base with two outs. Pinch hitter Brian Schneider would then hit a pinch hit double, scoring both Delgado and Anderson, and giving the Mets a 6-4 lead. Then in the ninth, with Rudy Seanez on the mound, pinch hitter Fernando Tatis would start the inning off with a pinch hit double. After moving up to third on a Wright ground out to third, he would score on a ball hit back to Seanez, which he would be unable to field for an error, allowing Beltran to reach first safely, and giving the Mets a 7-4 lead. Easley would then follow with a single, moving Beltran to second. Delgado would then follow with a single, loading the bases. Anderson would then hit a ground ball to second, that would lead to Delgado being thrown out at second for the second out of the inning, as Beltran scores, and Easley moves up to third on the fielder’s choice, making it 8-4 Mets. Easley would then score the Mets’ final run on a RBI single by Chavez. That would be it, as Tony Armas would come in to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Jamie Moyer would get a no-decision, as he pitches a quality start, going six and two-thirds innings, giving up only three earned runs on seven hits. Ryan Madson would pitch a third of an inning, getting out the only batter that he would face. J.C. Romero, would take the lost, going one-third of an inning, giving up two earned runs on two hits. He record is now 4-2 with an ERA of 2.43. Tom Gordon will receive a blown save, his first of the year, as he goes two-thirds of an inning, giving up an earned run on one hit. Rudy Seanez would go two-thirds of an inning, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Clay Condrey would pitch a third of an inning, retiring the only man that he would face. John Maine would also get a no-decision, as he leaves the game after having pitched five and two-thirds inning, and with the count 2-2 on Ryan Howard, because of an injury to his non-pitching elbow. He has given up three earned runs on just one hit, Howard’s home run, when he was replaced by Aaron Heilman, who would then strike out Howard on one pitch, who would turn out to be the only man that he would face. Joe Smith would pitch two-thirds of an inning, giving up an earned run on one hit. Pedro Feliciano would get the win, as he would pitch only a third of an inning, giving up no runs on one hit. His record is now 1-2 with an ERA of 2.91. Duaner Sanchez would pitch an inning of scoreless ball, giving up just one hit. Tony Armas would pitch a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game.

The Phillies’ offense was only able to get four hits tonight, even if one of them, Howard’s three-run home run, did bring in a few runs. Moyer had another quality start, but the bullpen did something that it has not done at all this year, be unable to protect a lead late in the ballgame. Unfortunately, it was bound to happen, and hopefully there will not be a repeat performance during the rest of the series.

The four games series between the two rivals will continue tomorrow afternoon from Citizens Bank Park with the third game of their series. The game will begin at 1:35 pm Eastern, The Phillies (48-40) will send to the mound Kyle Kendrick (8-3, 4.58), who is coming off a victory over the Braves on July 1, where he went six plus innings, giving up only three earned runs on seven hits, in the Phillies’ 8-3 win. He will be trying for his ninth win of the year, hoping to make it three straight wins in a row, while trying to get even with the Mets for his early season defeat at their hands. The Mets (43-44) will counter with Oliver Perez (6-5, 4.98), who is coming off a win against the Yankess on June 29, where he went seven innings, giving up just an earned run on three hits, in the Mets’ 3-1 win. He will be gunning for his seventh win of the year whle trying to get the Mets back into the pennant race.

In spite of the lost, the Phillies’ lead is still three and a half games over the Marlins as the fish have once again lost to the Rockies. The Mets now trail the Phillies by four and a half games with tonight’s win. The Braves still trail by seven games as they have lost their game to the Astros. The Phillies will be trying to regroup, so that they can do some more damage and add on to their lead in the Eastern Division.

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